Loading and unloading lift platform for trucks



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. OLSEN James Olsen v INVENToR.

i BY @Mm wpswyfmm LOADING AND UNLOADING LIFT PLATFORM FOR TRUCKS Filed Feb. 25, 1948 Jan. 2, 1951 v Jan. 2, 1951 J. oLsEN LOADING AND UNLOADING LIFT PLATFORM FOR TRUCKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 1948 :""f fw Patented Jan. 2, 1951 :LQADINtGAN-D UNLOADlNG'LlFT IILITIQBM FORTRUGKS Jamescmsemmivemon, Il-l. ,assienor :ofmneehalf an FredzfA. tntsmanipringieldrlll- ,erniamnretrgary zum, ,seraljuo. #10.5611

, The jpresent'inventionrelates to vnew and uselful improvements in`*-lif-ts for'loading-land linfluentiing lmaterial'i',oandfroin -a truck 7-bodynloading platfprm gr other place Where it is desired to Y loadand unload material by a lifting action.

An important Aobject ,of the invention is to provide -a loading and 'unloading lift including .-.theprovision of a platform .on the material is placed together with .mechanical means for raising ,loweringat-he platform whereby to minimize the manual effort required for load- .,ing and unloading the material.

A A -s'ti'll further object *is* to "provide a loading and unloading lift Lwhich may ,bemoun'ted 1in ipo- Sition -inga truck body 'or loading platform 'and jwhicgh Awillnot vinterfere with the normal' use of jthe trucker loading-platform.

A still 4further object y'is `'to 'provide Y'aloading and unloading lift which may be power or manually operated.

A -still further object is to provide an apparatus of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in operation, strong and durable, relatively inexpensive to manufacture :and otherwise ywell adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the :accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer -to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational View;

Figure 2 is a top plan View;

Figure 3 is a side elevational View, and;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on -a line 4-4 of Figure l. Y

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have di-sclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention the numeral 5 designates a supporting frame or mounting for the lift and including a pair of side walls 6 and a rear Wall 1. The upper edge of the frame `5 is secured to the floor of a truck body, loading platform or other object -8 by means of channel iron members 9, the member 8 having :an opening IU Vat one edge thereof and beneath which the frame 5 is supported.

A shaft I I is journalled in the side walls 6 transversely of the frame and adjacent its lower front edge and to which a pair of arms I2 are secured at their lower ends and with the upper ends of the arms pivoted to the under side of the rear portion of a lift platform I3 by means 4 claims. (eran-,ain

of brackets I4 andmpins |15, the lshaft VI Ibeng positioned `hin -fthe #frame ""5 foxiw.ardly of .zthelfpins inclined 'position-when the '1in planean fris supper-ted in the opening 410 with-theaut- `face of -themember=8. "f r The shaft f-I I Aextends Aoutwardly riait oneeside @of ythe frame fk5 )and Evjournailed -in -fa'fbraoket lf-I 6 suitably Vsecured to Yft e-;adi acent iside .m` "bfer A -worm f IfIf'is ijomnalled 'inptlieibracket f fgagement with a worm @gear-"lia #secured Venterendnf-shafftflI. I

` "*The wormy H vmay be ieperatedmanuaH-ysby a crank handle -I197detachaifb1y conncatedto', ne en d of the-worm, @or l,the @worm -maybe .operated by a suitable ipower plant such 'jas v`an -eletric #moterprfthelikelnot shown).

' A pa-ir affront inverted `X1L-shapedllinks20zare pivoted at their lower ends on pins 2| secured to the lower front portion of side walls -6, the links having rearwardly extending end portions 22 at their upper ends pivoted to the under side of lift platform I3 by pins 23.

A single rear link 24 likewise of substantially L-shaped construction has its upper end pivoted adjacent the rear edge portion of platform I3 by a pin 25 and has a forwardly extending lower end 26 pivoted to Ia pin 21 carried by a bracket 218 suitably secured to frame 5.

The rotation of shaft II in one direction by handle I9 or other means will swing arms I2and platform I3 forwardly and downwardly fromits raised position as shown in full lines in Figure 4 to any of the dotted line positions and a reverse rotation of shaft I-I will raise the farms and platform.

The links 2(I and 24 swing withthe arms to maintain the platform in a horizontal position during all stages of its raising and lowering movement.

The worm I7 and worm gear I8 will hold the platform .at any position of adjustment.

The side edges of the platform at the rear thereof are reduced in width, as shown at 29, to

accommodate the links 20 and arms I2 as the. ,v platform 'approaches its lowermost position, and

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is: f

1. A loading and unloading lift comprising a platform, a rockable shaft, a swingable arm connecting the shaft to the platform for raising and lowering of the latter, means swingable with the arm and attached to the platform for holding the same horizontally during its raising and lowering movement, said means comprising links pivoted at one end to the under side of the platform forwardly and rearwardly with respect to the arm, and said links being pivoted at their other ends to a supporting structure beneath the platform.v l

2. A loading and unloading lift comprising a platform, a rockable shaft, a swingable arm connecting the shaft to the platform for raising and lowering of the latter, and means swingable with the arm and attached to the platform for holding thesame horizontally during its raising and lowering movement, said means comprising substantially L-shaped rear links and inverted subv stantiallyh-shaped front links pivoted at one end L to the under side of the platform forwardly and rearwardly with respect to the arm, and said links being pivoted at their other ends to a supporting structure beneath the platform.

3. A loadingv and unloading lift comprising a frame, open at its front, top and bottom, a shaft journalled horizontally in the frame adjacent its lower front, -an arm attached to the shaft and journalled horizontally in the frame adjacent its lower front, an arm attached to the shaft and extending upwardlytherefrom, a platform pivoted to the upper end of the arm for swinging forwardly and rearwardly in a raising and lowering movement into and out of position at the top of the frame, and front and rear links pivotally connecting the platform to the frame and supporting the platform horizontally at all stages of its movement, rsaid links being substantially L shapecl, and said front links being inverted.

JAMES OLSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,706,913 Bush Mar. 26, 1929 2,088,648 Hansen Aug. 3,1937 2,192,388 Schulz Mar, 5, 1940 2,298,166 Richards Oct. 6, 1942 2,414,684 Wohlforth Jan. 21, 1947 2,456,805 Wohlforth Dec. 2l'. 1948 

